Winding machine stopping system



Dec. 6, 1955 R. D- HEFFELFINGER 2,725,710

INVENTOR. ROBERT D. HEFFELF/NGER ATTORNEY.

United States Patent "ice WINDING MACHINE STOPPING SYSTEM Robert D. Hetfeltinger, Lansdowne, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware This invention relates to a stopping mechanism for textile machinery adapted to handle wound strand packages. The invention is particularly applicable to a twisting machine comprising a package holder mounted rotatably upon a twisting spindle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a control mechanism for a machine adapted to wind or unwind packages of strand, which will stop the machine before a strand supply package is completely exhausted so as to avoid the necessity for relacing the strand through the apparatus through which the strand proceeds during operation. When such a machine is used to wind packages, it is a further object that the control mechanism be actuated when the winding of a package by the machine is completed. It is another object to provide emergency stopping mechanism for a multiple twist-type twister which will be actuated when a portion of the machine which is rotatably supported but normally held from rotating starts to rotate. It is also an object to provide a control system which may be applied to existing equipment without substantial modification thereof, and without interference with a balloon formed in the strand passing to, or being withdrawn from, a strand package supported concentrically with respect to a Winding or twisting spindle. Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention and the drawing relating-thereto in which Fig. l is an elevation, with a portion broken away, of doubling apparatus provided with stopping mechanism in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along line II--II of Fig. 1;

2,725,710 Patented Dec. 6, 1955 package and may be provided with areas which, when the package holder rotates, produce changes in the intensity of the light received by the mechanism. When the stopping mechanism is to be operated by decreases of light intensity, these areas are opaque or light-absorbent and rotate into the path of a light beam projected toward or reflected from the package into a light-sensitive portion of the stopping mechanism when the package holder starts to rotate; when the stopping mechanism is to be operated by increases in light intensity, the areas are preferably highly reflective and mounted to reflect a beam of light intothe light-sensitive portion when the holder is rotated.

In a doubling system comprising a doubling unit and supply twisters which are equipped with light-sensitive devices for stopping a common driving means for the units, the doubling unit may be provided with a device sensitive to a change in the intensity of the light passed therethrough along a desired path from a specific surface or object located so that, as the package being wound in the doubling unit reaches full size, the peripheral surface of the package extends into the light path to. pro- Fig.3 is a diagram of an electrical circuit for connect ing the various electrically operated portions of the stopping mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a diagram of an arrangement wherein a light source and a light-sensitive member are spaced from each other in a direction parallel'to the longitudinal or axial direction of a package; and

Fig. 5 is a diagram of an arrangement wherein alight source and a light-sensitive member are angularly spaced with respect to the longitudinal axis of a package.

In accordance with the present invention, a wound strand package is provided with a supporting core which has a light-reflecting capacity which is substantially different from that of the strand material wound about the core. Such diflerence in light-reflecting capacity is utilized to operate a light-sensitive mechanism for stopping a machine for unwinding such packages when the package being unwound is near exhaustion. The invention contemplates the utilization of decreases in the intensityof light received by the mechanism when a reflective strand is removed from, and exposes, a less lightrefiective core surface, and also, in an alternative system, the utilization of increases inrthe intensity of the reflected light when a reflective core surface is exposed by removal of a relatively less reflective strand. A transparent rigid cover may be mounted on the package holder over the duce a change in the intensity of the light received by the device. Similarly, as indicated above with respect to a system for stopping a package unwinding system, the invention contemplates the utilization of increases as .well as decreases in the intensity of the light received by the light-sensitive device associated with the doubling unit to actuate a stopping mechanism.

Although the invention is applicable broadly to machines for winding or unwinding strand packages, it is described for purposes of illustration, with respect to the multiple-spindle multiple-twist apparatus shown in the drawing. The terms photocelP and photoelectric cell" are used interchangeably.

Fig. '1 illustrates a doubling system comprising singles twisting units 7 and 8 and a doubling unit 9. Strands 11. and 12 are withdrawn from packages 14 and 15, twisted, and passed through several wraps around a gathering roll 17 from which they are discharged together as .a single strand group hereinafter referred to as strand .18. Ina preferred form of the doubling system, the strands drive the gathering roll 17, the rotation of which may be restrained, such as by braking means, in the manner described in Pat. No. 2,576,936. The strand 18 as well as the strands 11 and 12 are pulled through the doubling system by a pair of capstan rolls 20 and 21 rotatably mounted on the cage 22 of the doubling unit 9 to receive the strand from the hollow spindle 24 of the unit 9. The cage 22 is rotatably supported on the spindle 24 but held from rotating by a weight 29 secured in the base of the cage similarly to weights secured in base portions of the package holders 38 and 39. The weights prevent rotation of the members to which they are attached since a doubling system such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is normally supported with the spindles slightly inclined from a vertical alignment.

The roll 20 is connected in positive drive relationship with the spindle 24 of the unit by a belt 25 which extends around a pulley 26 mounted on the spindle and a pulley 27 mounted on the shaft of the roll 20. The strand 18 is traversed in a direction parallel to the spindle 24 by a loading guide 36 and collected in a product package 28. The loading guide 36 is reciprocated lengthwise of the cage 22 by a rotatable reverse-threaded member 35. The package 28 is collected on a spool or core supported on a package holder 23 which is mounted rotatably on the spindle 24. The package holder operatesas a take-up for strand discharged by the capstan rolls 20 and 21 and is driven by a magnetic coupling or clutch of which the driven member 23a attached to the package holder 23 is shown.

on a standard 31 extending from the frame member 34 is positioned in a radial direction from the doubling unit 9 with respect to its winding axis outside the region traversed by the balloon in the strand 18. A light-sensitive device such as the stationary photoelectric cell 32 is supported by a stand rd 33 in a position to receive a beam from the light source 30 passed tangentially to the peripheral surface of the package 28 at the diameter thereof just short of that corresponding to a full package. On attaining full size, the package extends into the path of the beam; the photoelectric cell 32, in re sponding to the change in the intensity of the light re ceived by it, actuates a stopping mechanism for the doubling system such as hereinafter described. Should the cage 22 start to rotate as the result of bearing seizure or other failure of the twister structure, the light beam passing between the lamp 30 and the photoelectric unit 32 may be also interrupted by passage between the lamp and the unit of vertically extending portions of the cage 22, such as a reverse threaded element 35 rotatably mounted in the cage 22 for the purpose of traversing a reciprocating loading guide 36. The cage is normally held from rotating by the eccentrically placed weight 29 incorporated within the cage structure, the twisting spindles of the doubling system having in this case a suitable inclination with the vertical to enable the weights incorporated in the cage of the unit 9, and/or package supports or holders 38 and 39 of the singles twisting units 7 and 8 respectively, to exert force sufliciently to prevent rotation of the respective members to which they are attached. When the spindles of the twisting units are vertical, however, magnetic holding means well known to the twisting art may be incorporated within the presently described doubling system to prevent rotation of such rotatably supported elements in lieu of the arrangement just described involving inclined spindles and eccentrically supported weights.

In the arrangement just described for stopping the doubling system just as the product package 28 reaches full size, a dull black surface may be substituted for the lamp 349, if desired. In this instance, general illumination of constant intensity is depended upon to produce the changes of light intensity which are needed to make the photocell and electronic stopping mechanism con! nected therewith responsive to changes in light intensity as reflected from surfaces of different light reflecting capacities. The amplification apparatus which actuates the stopping mechanism, in this case, is modified so that an increase, instead of a decrease, in the intensity of light received by the photoelectric cell 32 connected with the amplification apparatus results in actuation of the stopping mechanism of the doubling system. For example, the output current of an amplifier connected with the cell 32 is increased when there is an increase in the light received by the cell 32 to operate a relay switch which shuts off power to the motor 40. 'With a dull black surface located in place of lamp 30 on the path along which the photoelectric cell 32 (selected for the requisite light sensitivity) receives light, the doubling system would be stopped when the package 28 reached suflicient size to extend within this path and to reflect light into the cell. Sufiicient light will be reflected into the cell to result in actuating the stopping mechanism by the metallic surfaces of vertical portions of the cage 22, should it start to rotate.

To accomplish stopping the doubling system, such as when one of the supply packages 14 or 15 is exhausted, or when seizure occurs in one of the bearings by means of which the package holders of the singles twisters are mounted on their respective spindles, the supply pack ages 14 and 15 are provided in a form wherein each comprises an annular core having an inner surface adapb ed to fit onto an axially-extending portion of the package holder 38 (or 39) and an outer surface which has a A stationary light source such as the lamp 30 mounted 7 substantially different l ht-reflecti capacity than that of the strand material wound thereupon. In the preferred operation of the invention, the light-reflecting capacity of the exterior surface of the core is much less than that of the yarnsince the yarn normally handled by twisters is undyed and undyed yarn is usually light colored and glossy. In such an arrangement, the core may be provided with any one of a great variety of flat or dull dark-colored finishes that reflect light to a much smaller extent than the yarn. To actuate a stepping mechanism for a driving means of the doubling system, such as the motor which is connected in drive relationship with spindles 24, 41 and 42 by a belt 43, a mechanism for each singles twister of the doubling system, and comprising a lamp 45 and a photoelectric unit 46, is mounted adjacent each singles unit exteriorly of the region traversed by the strand 11 (or 12) as it passes through its balloon.

As shown in Fig. 1, each photoelectric unit is mounted above, or in a direction parallel to the spindle axis, with respect to the lamp from which the unit receives re? flected light. However, the positions of the lamp and the corresponding photo-electric unit adjacent a singles twisting unit may be reversed to effect with equal facility the beam arrangement illustrated in Fig, 4, As shown in Fig. 2, the photoelectric unit of each singles twisters may be supported directly over their respective lamps. The twisting units 7 and 8 may be provided with transparent covers, or hoods 5t) and 51, respectively, each supported in concentric and spaced relationship around a package, and comprising an easily formed transparent material such as methyl methacrylate resin, polystyrene, poly ethylene, or Celluloid. The covers and 51 are provided with light barriers such as opaque areas 52 and 53, respectively, which are obtainable by applying an opaque, dark, or light-absorbing coating material or an adhesive sheet material. These areas are positioned on the covers 50 and 51 so that they revolve during rotation of a package holder, through either a beam passing from the light source 45 to a package surface, or through a beam reflected from the package surface to a light sensitive unit 46,, or through both beams. Fig. 5 illus= trates an arrangement for mounting a lamp with a co: operating photoelectric unit wherein the lamp and the light-sensitive device are angularly spaced with respect to the axis of the package.

It is to be understood that in practicing the present invention, light propagated, transmitted and utilized for the purpose of operating stopping mechanisms may be diffused d refls t o a ea ext from a des r path on account of the nature and contour of the surfaces with which such light comes into contact before reache ing the photocell or other light sensitive element of such stopping mechanisms. Therefore the following descrip: tion concerning Figs. 4 and 5 sets forth arrangements which are merely exemplary and geometrically approxi: mate. With. reference to the twisting unit 7 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 illustrates light passing through an aperture 55 of a lamp 45 comprising a bulb 55 and a focusing mirror 57, through the transparent wall'of the cover 51 and onto the surface of the package 15. T he light follows a path, such as outlined by the broken lines X and Y, which may be divergent as shown so that light is reflected into the photoelectric, Cell unit 46 from the package regard; less of changes in theangle of reflection as the diameter of the package changes. A lens 63 may be mounted adjacent the light sensitive cell 62 for concentrating the light reflected toward the cell. When the outer surface of the transparent cover is smooth and highly reflective, a portion of the light projected from the lamp will he reflected as abeam from the outer surface of the cover, A precaution to be observed, therefore, is to find a 'POSi: tion of the lamp and the photocell relative to the cover such that any beam of light reflected from the cover surface is not reflected to the photocell. When this conwa m.

dition is obtained, the photocell may function more reliably within a larger range of variation in light intensity. Fig. illustrates a light source and a light-sensitive device spaced angularly with respect to the axis of an annular package having a central supporting core. Since the light discharged from the light source at H must be received by the light-sensitive element at I to avoid operation of the stopping mechanism the light is discharged in a beam of suflicient width so that at the beginning of the unwinding of the package, light is reflected from the surface of the package 14 at maximum size corresponding to circle T and also from the surface of the package as it is unwound until the core surface at S is exposed. To allow for small errors in construction and adjustment of the equipment, for vibration, etc., the width of the beam is such, as indicated by the dotted lines Y and X, that light will be reflected to the photocell at J during the progressive reduction of the diameter of the package while being unwound. The arrangement of Fig. 4 includes the transparent cover 50 having an opaque area 52 (see Fig. 1) such as hereinbefore described. When the opaque area rotates through the beam being projected to, or reflected from, the package the passage of light to the light-sensitive element at J is interrupted and the stopping mechanism of a strand-advancing means is actuated as described in the following paragraph with respect to Fig. 3.

Y Fig. 3 shows a circuit diagram of a control system which may be used to interrupt transmission of electrical power to a driving means, such as the motor 40 of the winding system. Light sources or bulbs 67, 68 and 69 from lamp 30 and lamps 45 of Fig. 1 are connected in parallel to electrical supply lines 71 and 72. Each of the light-sensitive photocells 74, 75 and 76 is connected with a separate amplifier 77, 78 and 79, respectively. Relay switches 81, 82 and 83 are provided for the purpose of controlling the flow of electric power to the motor. These switches are connected in series within the circuit for energizing the motor so that when the coil of any one of the switches is deenergized, the switch opens the circuit for feeding the motor. The coil of each switch is connected to a single amplifier. Each of the light-sensitive cells or bulbs is connected in a manner well known in the electronic tube art to electronic tubes constituting a portion of each amplifier so that the output current of each amplifier to the electromagnetic coil connected therewith is sizeable when the photocells are receiving light originating in one of the bulbs 67, 68 and 69. The coil, however, is deenergized by the output current from the amplifier shouldpassage of light from the corresponding light-generating bulb to the receiving photocell be interrupted or decreased. Deenergizing of the coil by the drop in current originating in one of the amplifiers reduces the magnetic field which acts on the magneticallysensitive switch element. For example, if the light received by the photocell 74 from the bulb 67 should decrease substantially, the output current of the amplifier 77 would not energize the coil 85 of the switch 81 sufliciently to hold it closed against means such as a tension spring 86 acting on a magnetically-sensitive lever 87. The circuit for driving the motor 40 is thus opened by separation of the switch terminals 88 and 89. The amplifiers are connected with the power supply lines 71 and 72 in parallel arrangement.

In the embodiments of the invention herein described, lamps are provided for the purpose of projecting and reflecting suflicient light into the photocells to render them sensitive and reliably responsive to differences of light reflection between the light reflected from a surface comprising juxtaposed windings of yarn and a dark flat surface, or a bright beam directed into the photoelectric cell. such an arrangement produces substantial differences in the intensity of the light received by a photocell. Under these conditions, inexpensive low range current amplification apparatus may be used in conjunction with the photothe beam illumination obtained by the beam-projecting lamps herein described. In this instance, photoelectric cells of suflicient sensitivity are used, and/or amplification apparatus is' provided which has sufficient capacity to amplify the smaller current differences in the photoelectric cell circuit, when general illumination is used, to a current of suflicient strength to operate electrical control apparatus, such as the relay coils of switches.

For example, when general illumination of substantially constant intensity for the supply packages and the product package of Fig. 1 is provided in substitution for the lamps 30 and 45, the light-sensitive apparatus comprises photoelectric cells and amplifying units capable of responding to smaller differences in light intensity. In this situation, the photocells 46 are aligned to receive light along substantially the same paths as when beamprojecting lamps 45 are used. A screen having a flat, black or dull-colored surface may be substituted in place of the lamp 30, and the amplifier connected with the photoelectric cell 32 modified in a conventional manner to produce a decreased output current in the amplifier (to open the relay switch) when an increase of current occurs in the photoelectric cell circuit.

The present invention provides a highly advantageoussystem for stopping equipment for handling running strands which are either withdrawn from, or collected as, wound packages supported within the equipment. Emergency stops made under circumstances such as hereinbefore mentioned, are quickly and reliably effected and the equipment may be promptly stopped just before exhaustion of a supply package, or at the completion of, a package being wound. An outstanding advantage of the invention is realized with strand-twisting apparatus which forms a balloon in the strand; the photocell, the lamp and the various other elements of the stopping mechanism may be mounted in fixed positions entirely outside the region swept by the strand as it traverses the balloon, and the basic structure and rotatable portions of conventional twisting apparatus need not be modified. Moreover, the strand or a package comprising the strand, need not be treated in any manner to facilitate the operation of the stopping mechanism. As applied to a multiple-twist up-twister having a spindle-supported package-holder, such stopping mechanism may serve a dual purpose, i. e. to stop the twister just before the supply package becomes exhausted so as to avoid rethreading the twister, and to stop the twister should the package holder commence rotation as, for example, in the event of bearing seizure.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an annular wound strand package having a core,'the outer surface of the core'having a substantially different light-reflecting capacity than that of the'strand, a twisting machine comprising an upwardly extending hollow spindle, a package support rotatably mounted on the spindle, said package being mounted on the support, a transparent cover for the package mounted on the support, a flyer fixed to the spindle for rotation therewith, means for controlling the rotation of the support relative to the spindle, a stationary strand guide mounted in axially-spaced relationship with the spindle, means for driving the spindle, electrical means for stopping the driving means, means for projecting a beam of light onto the peripheral surface of the package, a photocell positioned with respect to the package to receive at least a portion of the light of the beam to some unwinding period of .the package, the photocell being.

electrically connected with the stopping means and being responsive to the change in intensity of the reflected light when the core surface is exposed to actuate the stopping means, and a light absorbent area supported on the surface of the transparent cover and normally positioned outof the path along which the beam is reflected from the package to the photocell, said area being supported to rotate into said path when the package holder rotates, said light projecting means and the photocell being mounted outside the region swept by the balloon in the strand passing from the flyer to the guide.

2. A- combination as defined in claim 1 wherein a surface of the transparent cover supports a layer of dull. surfaced dark-colored coating material to provide said light-absorbent area.

3. In combination with an annular Wound strand package having a core, the outer surface of the core having a substantially different light-reflecting capacity than that of the strand, a twisting machine comprising an upwardly extending hollow spindle, a package support rotatably mounted on the spindle, said package being mounted on the support, a transparent cover for the package mounted on the support, a flyer fixed to the spindle for rotation therewith, means for controlling the rotation of the support relative to the spindle, a stationary strand guide mounted in axially-spaced relationship with the spindle, means for driving the spindle, electrical means for stopping the driving means, means for projecting a beam of light onto the peripheral surface of the package, a photocell positioned with respect to the package to receive at least a portion of the light of the beam reflected from the package surface throughout the entire unwinding period of the package, the photocell being electrically connected with the stopping means and being responsive to the change in intensity of the reflected light when the core surface is exposed to actuate the stopping means, means supported upon the surface of the transparent cover for changing the intensity of light reflected to the photocell and thereby operating the stopping means, said means on the cover being normally positioned out of the path along which the beam is projected to the package and reflected therefrom to the photocell, said means on the cover being supported to rotate into said path when the package holder rotates, said light-projecting means and the photocell being mounted outside the region swept by the balloon in the strand passing from the flyer to the guide.

4. In combination with an annular wound strand package, a twisting machine comprising a spindle, means for driving the spindle, means for supporting, the package in rotatable and concentric relation with respect to the spindle, means for controlling the rotation of the means for supporting the package relative to the spindle, a transparent cover for enclosing the package in place on the sup porting means, said cover being supported by the supporting means in generally concentric relation to the spindle, electrical means for stopping the driving means, stationary means mounted radially outwardly from the cover with respect to the spindle for projecting a beam of light onto the peripheral surface of the package, a photocell positioned with respect to the package to receive at least a portion of the light reflected from the package surface at all. diameters of the strand material wound thereon, the

cover having an area of substantially different light-refleeting capacity than that of the surface of the strand wound on the package, said area of the cover being normally positioned out of the path along which the beam is projected to the package and reflected therefrom to the photocell, the photocell being electrically connected with the stopping means and being responsive to the change in intensity of the reflected light to stop the machine when said area is rotated through said path.

5. In a doubling system comprising a doubler, a plurality of singles twisters for supplying strands to the doubler, and driving means for the twisters and the doubler; said twisters each having a hollow spindle, a package support rotatably mounted on the spindle, a flyer fixed to the spindle, means for controlling the rotation of the package support relative to the spindle, a strand guide mounted in axially-spaced relationship above the hollow spindle, an annular wound package of yarn supported on the package holder, and a transparent cover supported on the package holder for enclosing the package, said package having a core of which. the surface has substantially less light-reflecting capacity than that of the strand wound thereon; the doubler comprising a hollow spindle, a package holder for supporting a product package rotatably supported on said spindle, a flyer fixed to the spindle, a slip-drive coupling connected with the spindle which rotates the package holder, and a guide mounted in axially-spaced relationship over the doubler spindle; an electrically operated stopping mechanism for the driving means comprising a photocell mounted adjacent to each of said twisters exteriorly of the region swept by a balloon in. the strand passing from the flyer of said twister to its respective guide, means for projecting separate beams of light toward the packages supported by the twisters, each of said beams including light passing along a path toward the core of the package toward which the beam is directed, means for restricting the light received by each photocell to the light of said beam being reflected from the package supported in the adjacent twister to include that reflected along a path extending from the core of said package, the cover for each twister having a light-absorbing area which is disposed for rotation into one of said light paths when the package support of such twister rotates, such light-absorbing area substantially reducing the intensity of theight received by such photocell in passing through one of said paths and thereby actuating the stopping means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

